Is Weight Loss Surgery the Right Choice for Your Teen?
October 15, 2024
The rate of childhood obesity has risen over the past few decades, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 14.7 million people ages 2-19 have obesity. Why is obesity one of the most common chronic pediatric diseases, and could bariatric surgery for teens help?
Our expert, Dena G. Arumugam, M.D., FACS, gastrointestinal surgeon at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, explains everything you need to know.
Why Are Obesity Rates Rising?
The increase in the incidence of obesity is multifaceted. "Obesity is on the rise due to the cost of food and access to healthy food," Dr. Arumugam explains. "Fast food is easy and cheaper."
Portion sizes have grown over the years, and more screen time means kids are less active. This combination of high-calorie food and reduced activity has led to weight gain for some children.
How to Approach Weight Loss One Step at a Time
Weight loss at any stage of life is challenging. We tend to have access to many quick but unhealthy snacks. Many families struggle to find time to exercise regularly and prepare healthy meals. Many of our jobs and hobbies are more sedentary than they once were.
Dr. Arumugam and her care team understand these challenges and work with families to try various approaches to achieve weight loss goals and personalize plans for each child and their family's circumstances.
Step 1: Diet and Exercise
The first step is diet and exercise. "This focuses on increasing the good foods, decreasing the not-so-good foods and being more active," says Dr. Arumugam. The care team can educate families on food choices with meal planning and grocery shopping ideas. They also can suggest simple ways to add more physical activity to daily routines.
Step 2: Behavior Modification
If diet and exercise alone don't achieve the weight loss goals, a nutritionist or other specialist can recommend strategies to modify behaviors hindering weight loss. This can include lifestyle and routine changes like eating meals more slowly and listening to the body's hunger and fullness signals. Or it could be not buying certain high-calorie foods so they are not an option at home.
Step 3: Medication
If a child is still struggling to reach a healthy weight with diet, exercise and behavior modifications and is over age 12, medication may be a good option. "These meds work," says Dr. Arumugam. "They often have very good success rates." A bariatrics provider can discuss medication's benefits and potential side effects and help choose the best option for a child.
Step 4: Surgery
In some cases, a child may still struggle to reach a healthy weight even after working through other interventions. For these kids, surgery may be the help they need to overcome those obstacles to weight loss. As this is a big step, it’s best to discuss all the risks, benefits and whether a child is a good candidate for surgery before making a decision.
Who Qualifies for Teen Bariatric Surgery?
Children 13 years or older can be candidates for surgery, but it’s an intervention reserved until all other weight loss methods have been explored without success. It’s also important that a child has adequate home support. Life after surgery involves many lifestyle and behavioral changes, and parents play a big role in supporting their child’s success.
Teens must have a BMI over 35 with a comorbidity, such as high blood pressure, to qualify for surgery. If there is no comorbidity, their BMI must be over 40 to qualify.
How to Help Your Child Lose Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is important to prevent the development of other medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Diet and exercise can help kids lose between 5 percent and 10 percent of their body weight, but getting motivated can be challenging. Family support is vital for kids and teens.
Dr. Arumugam advises, “It’s helpful to get the whole family involved. We don’t want to target the one kid who struggles with weight.”
She encourages families to exercise one hour per day, make time to get outside, set strict screen time limits. Small changes, such as reducing soda intake, accumulated over time result in healthier habits.
Aim to strike a balance of healthy habits and eating, but as Dr. Arumugam warns, “We don’t want to get food obsessed because this can have a lifelong impact on their relationship with eating. Food is nutrition. Just be mindful.”
Next Steps & Resources:
- Meet our source: Dena G. Arumugam, M.D.
- Learn more about weight management programming at Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
